What You Should Know About Kegels
One of the most overlooked areas of your body is the pelvic floor. We are talking about the muscles that can help keep your pelvic organs where they are. Locating these muscles and exercising them can be very beneficial not only for your health but could also improve your sexual pleasure.
Kegel Is Not a Body Part
The pelvic floor is a part of the body you can strengthen by tightening the muscles in the area through a series of simple exercises. The first step is to identify those muscles. Luckily, it is not that hard. Namely, these muscles stretch from your pubic area to the tailbone. You can feel them in several ways, such as:
- By holding in your urine or stopping yourself from passing gas;
- By placing a finger between your hips where the vagina or rectum is to feel the muscles tighten.
Kegels May Help Improve Pelvic Floor Health
The main goal of doing pelvic floor exercises is to stop yourself from experiencing medical issues. Those can include various urinary tract infections, embarrassing leakages, urinary incontinence, etc. Kegels can even help you recover from childbirth or surgery.
As mentioned earlier, having a strong pelvic floor can keep the organs in the area in place. As we age, some internal organs may begin to drop, causing discomfort and other types of issues. Plus, doing these exercises is as easy as tightening the right muscles for about five seconds and then letting go for another five three times a day. And don’t forget: it not only has medical advantages, but it can improve your sex life as well.
Men Can Also Do Kegel Exercise
Kegel is not for women only since men can also have medical issues, and because many of them want to increase their libido. Men, it is quite simple — knowing what the right muscles are and squeezing them can be easily done. All you have to do is hold in your urine and feel the muscles.
You should do the exercises for a set of ten, three times a day, making sure that only that area of the body is working. That goes for women as well. You can start by laying down to do the exercises, and once you feel more comfortable, try doing it sitting, standing, and walking around.
However, they should keep their focus on the number of reps. Consistency is key, but doing too much (i.e., too many reps and holding for a long time) can also be harmful. Namely, it can lead to the muscles becoming too tight.
Kegels Improve Ejaculation and Erection
Most men perform Kegel exercises intending to improve their ejaculation and erection. Namely, Kegels can sort out a lot of related issues, such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and they can even straighten the penile tissue. It can make the penis point up more, so to say, as well as increase the blood flow to it.
Plus, doing Kegels can improve the orgasm overall, as well as enhance the build-up to it. The trick is that, while performing intercourse, the man can do, say, five quick reps to hold on to the ejaculation a bit longer, making the wait more worth it.
Kegel Exercises Are Components for Yoga and Pilates
There are other ways to exercise the pelvic floor, such as doing yoga or pilates. The former is all about breath control and using your body instead of weights. That means that the resistance you feel is constant. It is a way to strengthen a group of muscles in a relaxing way where you go at your own pace. Plus, you can work on your posture, correct your breathing, and learn to do the exact movements needed to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Pilates does take a lot from yoga, but its focus is more on working the core. That can include the abdomen, the lower back, and the groin. Pilates does use some equipment, the most common accessories being a mat to lie on as well as a light ball. However, yoga and pilates are not at all competitive, making the chances of injury less likely.
Ben Wa Balls Are Useful for Kegel Exercises
Many accessories can help with strengthening the pelvic floor once you feel ready to use them. There are the Kegel balls or Ben Wa balls. These are tiny, weighted spheres that go inside the vagina. You are supposed to hold them there while performing the reps.
These toys can come in different sizes and materials. Medical grade silicone and stainless steel are usually the go-to for most, and you can order them from lovegasm. However, it is best to speak to a physical therapist before you attempt using these gadgets, just to be safe. While these accessories are an aid, they are not necessary.
Kegel Exercises Support Pelvic Organs
Kegels are a great way of supporting the pelvic organs, that is, the vagina, rectum, bladder, uterus, and intestines. As mentioned, a strong pelvic floor keeps the organs from falling. That can help as you age, and it can prevent pelvic organ prolapse if the pelvic floor has been weakened or injured. However, it is advisable to speak to a doctor if the issues get severe, for example, if you feel as if there werea bulge in your vagina.
Final Input
The best thing to do is to find out what muscles you should focus on. Once you find them, make sure that they are the only part of your body doing the work. Yoga and pilates, Kegels balls, etc. can also help in the process, but you should start slow and work up to something heavier. But, check with your doctor before you start to make sure everything is in order.